tagasi

Estonian

Etymology

A form of taga. Compare Finnish takaisin.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɑɡ̊ɑsi/, [ˈtɑɡ̊ɑsʲi]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑɡ̊ɑsi
• Hyphenation: ta‧ga‧si

Adverb

tagasi (not comparable)

1. back, backwards
   1. In the opposite direction.

      astu samm tagasi ― take a step back

      kalluta pea tagasi ― tilt your head backwards

      Keerasin raamatus paar lehte tagasi.

      I turned back a few pages in the book.

      Kella tuleb tagasi keerata.

      The clock needs to be turned back.

      Antonym: edasi

      1. away
   2. In(to) the starting point, the former situation.

      pilet Tartust Tallinna ja tagasi ― a ticket from Tartu to Tallinn and back

      Isa on arsti juurest tagasi.

      Dad is back from the doctor's office.

   3. In response, in return, in retaliation

      Poiss äigas lööjale tagasi.

      The boy hit him back.

   4. Further back in time towards the past.

      elule tagasi vaatama ― to look back at life

      ajas tagasi rändama ― to travel back in time

      Heidame nüüd pilgu tagasi.

      Let's take a look back.

      See lugu läheb tagasi möödunud sajandisse.

      This story goes back to the last century.

Related terms

• edasi-tagasi

Postposition

(partitive +) tagasi

1. ago

   kaua aega tagasi ― a long time ago

   aastaid tagasi ― years ago

   Ta sündis viiskümmend aastat tagasi.

   He was born fifty years ago.

   Mõni aeg tagasi veel elati siin külas.

   Some time ago, this village was still inhabited.

   Abiellusime aasta tagasi.

   We got married a year ago.

Further reading

• tagasi in Sõnaveeb (Eesti Keele Instituut)
• “tagasi”, in [EKSS] Eesti keele seletav sõnaraamat [Descriptive Dictionary of the Estonian Language] (in Estonian) (online version), Tallinn: Eesti Keele Sihtasutus (Estonian Language Foundation), 2009